WheelWell

Partner

Discipline

Graphic Design

Industrial Design

Multidisciplinary

Issue

Community/Neighborhoods

Transportation

Semester/Year

Fall 2013

Program

Creative Sprint

The design team envisioned “Bipool,” a bicycle program that would improve cyclist safety by increasing bicyclist visibility through commuting groups and planned routes.

Design Sprint Prompt:

In response to growing safety concerns, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) began the Vision Zero initiative in 2011 to increase roadway safety for its community members. The Vision Zero: Silicon Valley program began as a partnership between SVBC and Stanford Hospital & Clinic’s Trauma Center. Members of these community groups gathered information from public works staff, AAA, cycling clubs, law enforcement, and community members to better understand the issue of cyclist safety in Silicon Valley. Out of this collaboration, the Vision Zero: Silicon Valley program identified a 7-point focus plan to improve safety. Vision Zero created design prompts that focused on outreach campaigns to improve road safety and put the 7-point focus plan into action.

Students were asked:

How can we improve the relationship between motorists and cyclists in Silicon Valley?

How can we encourage behavior change to ensure the safety of all on the road?

Team Proposal:

“Bipool”

Xiaofei Liu | Graphic Design

Jingjing Yang | Graphic Design

Qian Mao | Graphic Design

Di Wang | Industrial Design

The design team envisioned “Bipool,” a bicycle program that would improve cyclist safety by increasing bicyclist visibility through commuting groups and planned routes. “Bipool” commuters would use a website and/or smartphone app to identify departure points throughout the community. Each departure point would be highlighted with the “Bipool” logo and would resemble a bus stop, with groups of cyclists embarking to their destinations at set times throughout the day. “Bipool” commutes would also be equipped with volunteer ride leaders. Veteran cyclists would encourage bicycle commuting by keeping the group together at a comfortable pace. “Bipool’s” website and mobile application would not only coordinate departure points, but also track cyclists heading towards their destinations, as well as provide common bike routes to popular locations.

Outcomes:

The “Bipool” design team was awarded $1,500 to develop their design solution and prepare a presentation for jurisdictions in Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition Youth Programs Coordinator led the first “Bipool” (now called “BikePool”) test ride in March 2015, and meetup/drop-off points are now available via an online map.

The Runners-Up:

The ROAD ZEN team was invited to Sacramento by the California DMV and to Palo Alto by Stanford University to present its campaign to promote peace, mindfulness, and cooperation among road users.

Teams MOODRA and SENSUS were invited to talk with CatEye about their wearable technology proposals. MOODRA designed a signaling system that would allow cyclists to clearly indicate their intentions to turn left, right, or stop.

Teams GreenPowder and Drive Your Bike were encouraged to launch KickStarter campaigns to get their work out into the world. GreenPowder entered a poetic and artistic approach to bicycle safety, proposing green chalk pits at intersections to create a visual map of cycling paths throughout a city.